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Health coverage in British Columbia, new immigrant

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Ulcerative Colitis
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Posted 6/28/2019 11:24 PM (GMT 0)
Hi,
I recently became a Permanent Resident of Canada (in April) but I haven't moved to Canada yet. I was planning on moving to Vancouver BC around July but I got recently diagnosed with Ulcerative Colitis. I'm currently prescribed Remicade and have had 2 infusions thus far which I'm required to take every 2 months. I'm currently residing in Los Angeles. I wanted to know if anyone could guide me with regards to how I can continue my medication without a break. My understanding is that the insurance would start 3 months after moving to BC? Would I need to take private insurance, even with that, how would I go about getting my infusion till my BC medical coverage starts?
thanks
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Posted 6/29/2019 12:44 AM (GMT 0)
I live in BC but don't know the answers to your questions. However I am going to post a link where you can do some research. https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/health/health-drug-coverage/msp/bc-residents/eligibility-and-enrolment/are-you-eligible

An important thing to know is that prescriptions are not covered by BC Medical Services Plan, unless you qualify for PharmaCare. https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/health/health-drug-coverage/pharmacare-for-bc-residents/about-pharmacare [Edit: my second link doesn't seem to have worked. Maybe just copy & paste the link into your browser].

Perhaps you are coming here to work, in which case you might be covered under your workplace benefits program. You would have to inquire with your workplace about that.
Posted 6/29/2019 1:53 AM (GMT 0)
Thanks for the info Serenity. I think I'll call Health Insurance BC and see if they can answer my queries. I was planning to continue working for my US employer for a while (I work remotely) but I'm not sure if I'll be able to keep my US benefits and continue to get my treatment by making trips to the US. It gets a little complicated with US H1B work visa etc.
Posted 6/29/2019 5:37 PM (GMT 0)
It does sound complicated so good idea to talk to someone. Good luck, hope it works out!
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